Declining Stature, or Failed State Department

In a recent Swampland article, Joe Klein details how the United States is becoming increasingly ignored overseas:

[1][T]he Iraqis [are] turning to China and Iran to construct electric power plants. This is particularly significant because America's inability to provide electricity in Iraq has been, for average Iraqis, the most infuriating daily evidence of our ineptitude...[2]Russian President Putin [is] offering a new alliance--and a new idea to resolve the nuclear situation--to the Iranians...[3]Turkey [is] empowering its army to move against the Kurdish guerrillas[.]

One of the commenters adds:

I recently heard Byron Wein speak. He contrasted a visit to China this year with a visit two or three years ago. On his previous visit, everyone he met wanted to talk about America; it was almost always the first topic of conversation. On his recent visit, America came up a bit, but less than Europe--despite the fact they were talking to an American. In his words, America has become "just another country". Americans still believe in American exceptionalism and in his judgement, Europeans and Asians did until recently, but that is rapidly fading.

Iran So Far Away

A la Ahmadinejad at Columbia, Ferdowsi University (in Mashhad, Iran) has invited Bush to speak and answer questions. Bush has--you'll never guess--declined, claiming he'd only be willing to travel to a democratic Iran. Ironically, (in a sad sort of a way) the actions of Bush and his fellow conservatives have made a democratic Iran less possible:

As The Washington Post reported in June of 2006, under pressure from a then-powerful reform movement, the Iranian government in 2003 sent a secret message seeking reconciliation with America. It proposed negotiations to stop monetary support for Hezbollah and Hamas, to provide assistance in Iraq and Afghanistan and to recognize Israel in exchange for a lifting of American sanctions and a guarantee not to try to overthrow the current government. America rejected the offer and increased its anti-Iran rhetoric, the Post reported. The next year, the reformists were defeated in Iranian elections, and they have been demoralized and relatively weak ever since.

In other news, Australia has said that it would not follow the U.S. into a war with Iran. Australian Prime Minister John Howard has been a close ally of President Bush, and Australia currently has about 1,500 troops in Iraq.

Touche, or Tit for Tat

Following the United States' decision to label Iran's armed forces, the Revolutionary Guards, as a terrorist organization, Iran's Parliament has voted to designate the U.S. military and CIA as terrorist organizations. The statement cited Hiroshima & Nagasaki, the Vietnam War, and the war in Iraq as examples.